Haart (Enroth)
Knight Knight Knight Death Knight |race = Lich |birthrace = Human |gender = Male |world = VARN-4 or Enroth |status = Deceased |birth = ~ 1100s AS Reanimated 1168-1171 AS |death = 1168 AS (initial) Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor. New World Computing. Document: Manual ("Welcome to Might and Magic® VII" section). 1999. 1171 AS |occupation = Knight of Enroth (formerly) Member of the Necromantic Order (formerly) Member of the REMC (formerly) Leader of Lord Haart's cult (formerly) |affiliation = Lord Ironfist's Knights Kingdom of Enroth Necromantic Order Deyja Erathia Royal Erathian Military Command Lord Haart's cult |introduced = |appearances = |mentioned = }} Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor. New World Computing. Quest: Retrieve Plans from Fort Riverstride. 1999.}} Lord Haart ( , ) is a recurring character in the Heroes of Might and Magic series, acting as a playable hero in the first three titles and as a secondary antagonist in Heroes III: The Restoration of Erathia and Heroes III: Armageddon's Blade. A talented and valiant Knight, serving the Ironfists and Gryphonhearts for decades with seemingly unblemished loyalty, his allegiance secretly lies with the Necromantic Order - a fact which leads him to betray his allies and king, only to bring about his own downfall. Gameplay Lord Haart is one of the nine playable Knight heroes in Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest. His unique ID in the accompanying map editor is No. 1. Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest. New World Computing. 1995. Haart returns only as a playable campaign Knight in Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars in Corlagon's Defense, based on Sir Gallant's hero slot - here he starts at level 3 with 3000 experience. His initial skills are Basic Ballistics, Basic Logistics and Basic Leadership. Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars. New World Computing. Scenario: Corlagon's Defense. 1996. Lord Haart also appears in Heroes III: The Restoration of Erathia, where he is one of the eight standard available Knight heroes associated with the Castle faction. Haart's specialty is unique only to him - his Estates skill receives a 5% bonus with every experience level he gains. He starts with Basic Leadership and Estates. Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia. New World Computing. 1999. Haart is the starting hero in the Tutorial scenario, and must be kept alive alongside Catherine Ironfist in For King and Country, the final map of Song for the Father. Here, he begins at level 11 with 15500 experience points. Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia. New World Computing. Scenario: Tutorial. 1999. Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia. New World Computing. Scenario: For King and Country. 1999. In Armageddon's Blade and The Shadow of Death, Lord Haart is withdrawn from the Knight hero pool and moved to the Necropolis faction as a campaign-only Death Knight. The Knight slot he leaves empty is filled by Sir Mullich. The undead Haart possesses Advanced Necromancy and starts with Slow, while his unique specialty grants Black Knights and Dread Knights under his command a set +5 Attack, +5 Defense and +10 Damage bonus in battle. Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade. New World Computing. 1999. Haart appears only as an enemy (Blue player) hero in the Burning of Tatalia scenario in the Playing With Fire campaign, and begins at level 37 with 1800000 experience points. Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade. New World Computing. Scenario: Burning of Tatalia. 1999. The files for the original Lord Haart still exist in the expansion packs; though normally impossible to place on maps, he is made specially recruitable if the available hero pool on a map is lower than its basic requirement (ten for each player plus one for each town). Such maps include the Heroes Chronicles previews. Biography Service to the Crown Born before the First War of Enrothian Succession, Haart served among Morglin Ironfist's retinue during the conflict, and aided in the founding of the Kingdom of Enroth. Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest. New World Computing. Scenario: Castle Ironfist. 1995. Though Human, it is unclear whether Haart hailed from VARN-4 or was native to Enroth. Twenty-five years after Lord Alamar's defeat, when Morglin's son Archibald usurped the throne, Lord Haart swore fealty to Archibald's rebel brother, Roland Ironfist. As a talented warrior and strategist, he acted as a counterpart to Archibald's military commander, General Corlagon. In the final battles of the Second War of Enrothian Succession, advised by The Commander, Lord Haart succeeded in capturing Corlagon and reclaiming major territories from the usurpers. While Lord Haart defended these territories, Roland and The Commander pressed on, besieging their enemies' fortresses and dethroning Archibald. Roland assumed the throne, reunifying the kingdom. Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars. New World Computing. Scenario: Final Justice. 1996. However, despite Haart's seemingly spotless servitude to the Ironfists, his true loyalties did not lie with the dynasty. In truth, he was a servant of the Necromantic Order, though his dual loyalty was not revealed until the Restoration Wars. Betrayal of Trust Lord Haart's ties to the Necromancers of Deyja were well-concealed, though it was still rumoured that he departed the continent of Enroth for Antagarich due to affiliations with a necromantic cult. Famed for his services as a battle commander under Roland Ironfist, he settled in Erathia following Archibald's defeat, joining the Royal Erathian Military Command."The Legacy" at Nether Gods He was given command of a holding, Castle Haart, on the northerly, forested Erathian frontier west of Deyja, and acted as its border lord. Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Shadow of Death. New World Computing. Scenario: Poison Fit for a King. 2000. Under orders from Deyja's King Finneas Vilmar, Lord Haart sought to avenge the banishment of the Necromancers, an act carried out long years ago by Erathian King Nicolas Gryphonheart. He hoped that Sandro's plan for conquest could successfully topple the powerful nation, and plotted to poison the king. In 1164 AS, as Haart left for maneuvers further into Erathian territory, Sandro staged a skirmish at the border and took his castle. Sandro deposited the appropriate Vial of Poison in the castle, leaving Haart to recover his lands - and obtain the implement of regicide. Vengeance and Retribution King Gryphonheart died at Steadwick in his sleep in late 1164, having consumed a goblet of poisoned wine."Heroes of Might and Magic III" at 3DO.com His killing threw Erathia into a frenzy as the Overlords of Nighon and the Kreegans commenced their invasion of the eastern border."Rumors from Steadwick" at Nether Gods Lord Haart continued his ruse when Catherine Ironfist - Gryphonheart's daughter - returned home; he joined her forces, proving himself "one of her most trusted generals" and even participating in battle against the Deyjan forces, utterly unsuspected. Haart's ambitions failed due to a cataclysmic reshuffling of power in Deyja. King Vilmar and the Deyjans plotted to reanimate King Gryphonheart to learn Erathia's military secrets. However, Vilmar was killed by the reanimated Lich King Gryphonheart, who replaced him on the throne and proved a far more potent leader. Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia. New World Computing. Scenario: A Gryphon's Heart. 1999. Gryphonheart, now seeking revenge, launched a full-scale invasion of his own homeland in search of his betrayer. Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia. New World Computing. Scenario: From Day to Night. 1999. The Lich King proved to be too effective a commander for the Necromancers' own good: their agent, Nimbus, secretly exchanged the identity of Erathia's traitor to Catherine in return for her assistance in destroying Gryphonheart. Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia. New World Computing. Scenario: Safe Passage. 1999. Aware that his plan had irrevocably collapsed, Haart directly participated in the mission to put an end to King Gryphonheart once and for all, unaware that Catherine already knew of his betrayal. When Stonecastle and Gryphonheart's final citadel were taken by the Erathian forces, Queen Catherine led her generals into the throne room to witness the Lich's demise, Haart among them - but before destroying her father, she pointed out the traitor to him. Astonished, Haart attacked the Lich King, but Gryphonheart gladly claimed his revenge, plunging his undead hand into Haart's body and crushing his murderer's very heart before being granted his final peace. Burning of Tatalia In the aftermath of the Restoration Wars, the disgraced Lord Haart's corpse was neglected by the Erathians; a cult loyal to him seized the opportunity to raise him from the dead as their leader. Now a powerful Death Knight, the undead Lord Haart required an army to further his future goals, and chose the marshland nation of Tatalia as his collective victim. Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade. New World Computing. Scenario: Farming Towns. 1999. Opposed almost exclusively by the Tatalian Fire Witch, Adrienne, Lord Haart and his cult members cleaved a path of devastation through the unspoiled swamps. Slaughtering thousands of Gnolls, Lizardmen and wildlife, his forces grew as the nation's political leaders struggled to cope. Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade. New World Computing. Scenario: March of the Undead. 1999. Haart's timing was well-advised, as Erathia could not lend Tatalia any aid due to its engagement in the Demon Wars - yet while successful in raising an undead horde, Haart failed to consolidate it. Forced to the continent's northwestern coast by Adrienne's relentless counterattack, he was left to stand and fight with the remainder of his cult members as the marshes began to recover. Confronted and overpowered by the denizens of the marshes, Haart was slain for the final time at his Necropolis. His corpse was interred once and for all in an unmarked grave in the dense forestlands. There, his killer Adrienne silently mused over his bravery and ultimate downfall in life, remarking on her own uncertainty whether she had buried a hero or a villain. Gallery File:HeroLordHaartI.jpg|Lord Haart's portrait in Heroes I File:HeroLordHaartKIII.jpg|Lord Haart's portrait in Heroes III File:HIIISongFatherDEBetrayal.jpg|Haart's betrayal is revealed File:HIIIFireCE.jpg|Lord Haart's grave Trivia *Lord Haart's sword was crafted by the Grand Forgesmith Galen, according to rumours in Heroes III: Armageddon's Blade. Heroes of Might and Magic III: Armageddon's Blade. New World Computing. Scenario: Maker of Sorrows. 1999. *Haart's campaign-only appearance in Heroes II was added late in development. As such, his character portrait from Heroes I was not included in the game; in Corlagon's Defense he shares Sir Gallant's portrait. Appearances * Heroes I: A Strategic Quest * Heroes II: The Succession Wars * Heroes III: The Shadow of Death (mentioned only) * Heroes III: The Restoration of Erathia * Heroes III: Armageddon's Blade References Category:Heroes of Might and Magic III Category:Heroes III characters